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I am putting this edit at the top of the original post because I think it is significant. Some time after I did the comparison in this post, I started looking into the effect of the foam installed behind the Lambdas driver. In brief I found it to be a significant factor in boosting the midrange of these phones but at the same time causing some of the 'etch' that some complain about with these phones. As well removing the foam backing opens up the soundfield. I have now removed the foam on the 404 and the Signature. The Nova has been sold so I don't know what this would sound like removed. See
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f113/s...ambdas-443060/
Another edit, as I have recently discovered that my "Signature" is not that at all but is in fact a Lambda Nova Signature, the second Lambda to be called a Signature. Please bear that in mind when reading this posting. I bought and paid for a Signature but evidently my seller was unaware of what he was selling, dishonest or both.
The Stax Lambda is probably the most common electrostatic headphone ever made. It first appeared in 1979, and there are 4 current models, the 202, 303, 404 and 404 Limited Edition.
There is regular debate in these forums about the merits and demerits of these and the other Lambda models, and since I recently found myself the owner of three Lambdas, the Nova Classic, the 404 and the Signature I decided to spend some time (about 2 weeks) comparing these one pair at a time.
LAMBDA MODELS
The first Lambda model was a low bias phone but all others were high bias, starting with the Lambda Pro in 1982, the Signature in 1987, 3 Lambda Nova's in 1994,(Basic, Classic and Signature,) the 202,303 and 404 in 1999 and the 404 Limited this year. That's 10 by my count. Three Lambdas have been called Signature, the original Signature, a Nova Signature (also called LNS) and the 404 which has "Signature" on its band.
The Lambda was originally a re-design of the Sigma which preceeded the Lambda by a few years. It is essentially a flattened and compressed Sigma
The only other contender in the number of stat phones sold would be the Koss 950 which is about a 20 year old design but hasn't had the modifications of the Lambda line. However, I doubt that the total of 950's sold exceeds the total of all Lambdas sold.
DIFFERENCES IN CONSTRUCTION
However, in spite of there being 10 types of Lambda, other than color and cord style, the newest phones look almost identical to the earliest designs. The differences among them in construction are fairly subtle, but still give each Lambda type a different sound signature.
Fistly, there are at least 4 cable types, a round cable on the original Sigma, but flat cables afterwards on the Lambdas. The Signature cable is slightly wider, the 404 (the same as used with the Omega) is even wider and there is apparently a new cable on the 404 Limited. The later, and more expensive cables show less measured capacitance.
Secondly, The material of the drivers has become thinner over the years, although apparently the Signature is thinner than the 404 and 303 but only by a slight margin. Thinner diaphragms would, all other things being equal have a better transient response.
Thirdly, it also appears that the stators have changed over the years with variations in the shape and spacing of the perforations.
Fourthly, some Lambdas have more damping behind the drivers than others.
Spritzer has also suggested that different models may have different tension applied to the diaphragm and that even the type of glue could change sound.
LISTENING SET-UP
I did all my listening using a Stax 717 amp with 2 phones plugged in at the same time. I tried to warm up the system for at least an hour before listening and kept the same 2 phones in for a few days before switching to another pair.
My source was a CEC transport/CD player, and a Musical Fidelity A3 24 DAC with Monarchy Jitter reducer. I used 5 test pieces Brahms 1'st Symphony with St Martins in the Fields(Hansler recording), Verdi's La Traviatia (Decca), Brian Wilson' Smile, Pink Floyd The Wall and the Beatles Sgt Pepper.
404 VS SIGNATURE
In direct comparison of these two, it was evident that the 404 had considerably more upper midrange than the Signature, however it also had a bit more bass. The Signature had a slight tizziness in the high frequency region, probably close to the top of hearing. The 404 sounded warmer and made sounds seem closer, the Signature had a colder, distant sound but was nevertheless very open sounding.
With the Brahms, the 404 showed more detail. In the Verdi opera the perspective of the singers was good, with the Signature, but the tenor sounded somewhat as if he had a head cold, probably due to the reduced midrange. The lesser bass of the Signature was evident in all the rock pieces, as was some loss of ambience. I had a slight preference for the Signature playing Wilson's Smile but the other pieces sounded a bit better on the 404.
I was left with mixed feeling about these two phones, I could see that the reduced midrange of the Signature gave it an appealling tonal balance. Especially when you first put on the Signatures they sound very open and a bit less "in the head." The 404 sometimes seemed to bring sound sources very close by comparison, at times too close. However with extended listening, the loss of midrange detail and slightly weaker bass of the Signature became somewhat off-putting.
Listening levels had some effect on my feelings for these phones. With the Signature, I felt I was getting a Fletcher-Munson curve equalization applied to the sound, i.e. a boost in bass and treble which, gave these phones a better sound at low listening levels. However, cranked up in volume, the 404 put on a better show and its upper midrange prominence was less of a problem.
Fletcher–Munson curves - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
404 vs Nova
The Brahms was surpisingly listenable and well-balanced on the Nova. The 404 sounded slightly tizzy in the high frequencies and the upper mid range peak was very evident. However listening to the Verdi through the Nova, again made the tenor sound like he had a head cold and the overall sound was a bit cold. The 404 was warmer, had more detail, deep bass and ambience. Wilson's Smile also had more ambience with the 404 and the 404 sounded better at higher volumes. With the Nova, Sgt Pepper was slightly dull sounding.
Nova vs Signature
Listening to the Brahms symphony, the Signature had a more open, airy sound than the Nova, however, it also sounded colder and lacking in detail. Both phones sounded somewhat cool with the Verdi, but the tenor's head cold seemed worse with the Signature. The Signature's lack of midrange detail was somewhat compensated by its better resolution both in bass and treble. With Wilson's Smile, the Nova sounded warm but veiled. The Signature showed more punch and more bass detail, although it also had a slight treble tizziness. With the Nova, Sgt Pepper sounded a bit more coherent across the midrange, but the Signature had better bass but again with a slight tizziness at the top end.
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS
Each of these phones is a respectable performer with no major flaws such as would make it unsuitable for general use. For example, the lack of bass in the Stax SRXMk3 is in my opinion an example of a flaw which renders that interesting phone ultimately frustrating. While each of these phones has some issues, these do not rise to that level of problem.
The 404 has somewhat of an edge as an all-round performer because of its combination of better bass, detail, and ambience. However, there is no denying its upper midrange peak and this may be too much for some listeners. This may be somewhat tamed by tweaks, and this peakiness is less of an issue at high volumes, because following Fletcher-Munsen's analysis, the bass and treble are subjectively louder at higher volumes, thus minimizing the mid-range peak.
Next in my esteem is the Signature. I understand why this phone has so many admirers. Upon first hearing it sounds open, airy and very listenable. I think that these phones would have a high level of acceptance among many listeners just because of their impact on first hearing. However it has a slight treble tizziness and its bass is a bit less impactfull than the 404. As well, upon continued use however it seems to have too little midrange and detail.
The Nova is a good all-round performer, with no vices, but as compared to the other two phones, no exceptional virtues either. It sounds slightly veiled and lacks some of the ambience and subtle detail of the other 2 phones, although its better midrange makes up for some of this, at least as against the Signature.
The usual caveats apply here, these impressions are my opinions, based on my other listening equipment. Having just spent a lot of time at Canjam listening to other set-ups, I became more aware of how much different amps and supporting equipment can change the respective quality of different phones. Each of these phones is scalable, i.e, capable of improvement with better sources.
Tonal changes can be produced through the use of different IC's and even powercords. I personally recommend Silclear, a silver based contact enhancer. It tends to boost bass and generally smooth out the sound in a manner which seems particularly suitable with the Lambdas. After I was done with the listening comparisons, I reapplied fresh Silclear and was struck both by the general improvement in sound and the extent to which these three models sounded more alike.
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f113/s...ambdas-443060/
Another edit, as I have recently discovered that my "Signature" is not that at all but is in fact a Lambda Nova Signature, the second Lambda to be called a Signature. Please bear that in mind when reading this posting. I bought and paid for a Signature but evidently my seller was unaware of what he was selling, dishonest or both.
The Stax Lambda is probably the most common electrostatic headphone ever made. It first appeared in 1979, and there are 4 current models, the 202, 303, 404 and 404 Limited Edition.
There is regular debate in these forums about the merits and demerits of these and the other Lambda models, and since I recently found myself the owner of three Lambdas, the Nova Classic, the 404 and the Signature I decided to spend some time (about 2 weeks) comparing these one pair at a time.
LAMBDA MODELS
The first Lambda model was a low bias phone but all others were high bias, starting with the Lambda Pro in 1982, the Signature in 1987, 3 Lambda Nova's in 1994,(Basic, Classic and Signature,) the 202,303 and 404 in 1999 and the 404 Limited this year. That's 10 by my count. Three Lambdas have been called Signature, the original Signature, a Nova Signature (also called LNS) and the 404 which has "Signature" on its band.
The Lambda was originally a re-design of the Sigma which preceeded the Lambda by a few years. It is essentially a flattened and compressed Sigma
The only other contender in the number of stat phones sold would be the Koss 950 which is about a 20 year old design but hasn't had the modifications of the Lambda line. However, I doubt that the total of 950's sold exceeds the total of all Lambdas sold.
DIFFERENCES IN CONSTRUCTION
However, in spite of there being 10 types of Lambda, other than color and cord style, the newest phones look almost identical to the earliest designs. The differences among them in construction are fairly subtle, but still give each Lambda type a different sound signature.
Fistly, there are at least 4 cable types, a round cable on the original Sigma, but flat cables afterwards on the Lambdas. The Signature cable is slightly wider, the 404 (the same as used with the Omega) is even wider and there is apparently a new cable on the 404 Limited. The later, and more expensive cables show less measured capacitance.
Secondly, The material of the drivers has become thinner over the years, although apparently the Signature is thinner than the 404 and 303 but only by a slight margin. Thinner diaphragms would, all other things being equal have a better transient response.
Thirdly, it also appears that the stators have changed over the years with variations in the shape and spacing of the perforations.
Fourthly, some Lambdas have more damping behind the drivers than others.
Spritzer has also suggested that different models may have different tension applied to the diaphragm and that even the type of glue could change sound.
LISTENING SET-UP
I did all my listening using a Stax 717 amp with 2 phones plugged in at the same time. I tried to warm up the system for at least an hour before listening and kept the same 2 phones in for a few days before switching to another pair.
My source was a CEC transport/CD player, and a Musical Fidelity A3 24 DAC with Monarchy Jitter reducer. I used 5 test pieces Brahms 1'st Symphony with St Martins in the Fields(Hansler recording), Verdi's La Traviatia (Decca), Brian Wilson' Smile, Pink Floyd The Wall and the Beatles Sgt Pepper.
404 VS SIGNATURE
In direct comparison of these two, it was evident that the 404 had considerably more upper midrange than the Signature, however it also had a bit more bass. The Signature had a slight tizziness in the high frequency region, probably close to the top of hearing. The 404 sounded warmer and made sounds seem closer, the Signature had a colder, distant sound but was nevertheless very open sounding.
With the Brahms, the 404 showed more detail. In the Verdi opera the perspective of the singers was good, with the Signature, but the tenor sounded somewhat as if he had a head cold, probably due to the reduced midrange. The lesser bass of the Signature was evident in all the rock pieces, as was some loss of ambience. I had a slight preference for the Signature playing Wilson's Smile but the other pieces sounded a bit better on the 404.
I was left with mixed feeling about these two phones, I could see that the reduced midrange of the Signature gave it an appealling tonal balance. Especially when you first put on the Signatures they sound very open and a bit less "in the head." The 404 sometimes seemed to bring sound sources very close by comparison, at times too close. However with extended listening, the loss of midrange detail and slightly weaker bass of the Signature became somewhat off-putting.
Listening levels had some effect on my feelings for these phones. With the Signature, I felt I was getting a Fletcher-Munson curve equalization applied to the sound, i.e. a boost in bass and treble which, gave these phones a better sound at low listening levels. However, cranked up in volume, the 404 put on a better show and its upper midrange prominence was less of a problem.
Fletcher–Munson curves - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
404 vs Nova
The Brahms was surpisingly listenable and well-balanced on the Nova. The 404 sounded slightly tizzy in the high frequencies and the upper mid range peak was very evident. However listening to the Verdi through the Nova, again made the tenor sound like he had a head cold and the overall sound was a bit cold. The 404 was warmer, had more detail, deep bass and ambience. Wilson's Smile also had more ambience with the 404 and the 404 sounded better at higher volumes. With the Nova, Sgt Pepper was slightly dull sounding.
Nova vs Signature
Listening to the Brahms symphony, the Signature had a more open, airy sound than the Nova, however, it also sounded colder and lacking in detail. Both phones sounded somewhat cool with the Verdi, but the tenor's head cold seemed worse with the Signature. The Signature's lack of midrange detail was somewhat compensated by its better resolution both in bass and treble. With Wilson's Smile, the Nova sounded warm but veiled. The Signature showed more punch and more bass detail, although it also had a slight treble tizziness. With the Nova, Sgt Pepper sounded a bit more coherent across the midrange, but the Signature had better bass but again with a slight tizziness at the top end.
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS
Each of these phones is a respectable performer with no major flaws such as would make it unsuitable for general use. For example, the lack of bass in the Stax SRXMk3 is in my opinion an example of a flaw which renders that interesting phone ultimately frustrating. While each of these phones has some issues, these do not rise to that level of problem.
The 404 has somewhat of an edge as an all-round performer because of its combination of better bass, detail, and ambience. However, there is no denying its upper midrange peak and this may be too much for some listeners. This may be somewhat tamed by tweaks, and this peakiness is less of an issue at high volumes, because following Fletcher-Munsen's analysis, the bass and treble are subjectively louder at higher volumes, thus minimizing the mid-range peak.
Next in my esteem is the Signature. I understand why this phone has so many admirers. Upon first hearing it sounds open, airy and very listenable. I think that these phones would have a high level of acceptance among many listeners just because of their impact on first hearing. However it has a slight treble tizziness and its bass is a bit less impactfull than the 404. As well, upon continued use however it seems to have too little midrange and detail.
The Nova is a good all-round performer, with no vices, but as compared to the other two phones, no exceptional virtues either. It sounds slightly veiled and lacks some of the ambience and subtle detail of the other 2 phones, although its better midrange makes up for some of this, at least as against the Signature.
The usual caveats apply here, these impressions are my opinions, based on my other listening equipment. Having just spent a lot of time at Canjam listening to other set-ups, I became more aware of how much different amps and supporting equipment can change the respective quality of different phones. Each of these phones is scalable, i.e, capable of improvement with better sources.
Tonal changes can be produced through the use of different IC's and even powercords. I personally recommend Silclear, a silver based contact enhancer. It tends to boost bass and generally smooth out the sound in a manner which seems particularly suitable with the Lambdas. After I was done with the listening comparisons, I reapplied fresh Silclear and was struck both by the general improvement in sound and the extent to which these three models sounded more alike.
